


Diplomatic Talks

by denise (denise3)



Series: TBG: The Enterprise and the Doctor [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Doctor Who AU, Gen, Star Trek 50th Anniversary, alternate Doctor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-04-25 12:56:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4961479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denise3/pseuds/denise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise is sent on a typical mission to a planet, in support of diplomatic talks between the Federation and the local government. The away team is captured, meets a mysterious stranger in prison and tries to escape. Business as usual? Perhaps not.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> First Episode of "The Enterprise and the Doctor", in celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Star Trek: the Original Series in 2016.  
> All thanks to my brilliant beta, Ersatz Einstein, for helping me turn this into readable form.  
> Disclaimer: I still don't own Star Trek. Nor Doctor Who.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A routine mission, but something isn't quite right. Kirk beams down with the away team and they are captured.

_Captain's log, Stardate 2145.1. The Enterprise has arrived at the planet Galinedoria Beta IV, reportedly on the brink of developing warp technology. The Federation has sent a survey team to research the political and social situation in preparation for the establishment of regular diplomatic relations. Our mission is to rendezvous with the team and provide them with any support they need. However, we have been unable to contact the surveyors, and I've decided to take an away team to look for them._

Captain Kirk glared at the two officers who'd just entered the conference room, then turned back to his chief engineer to resume the briefing.

"Scotty, as soon as we've beamed down, you should move the _Enterprise_ as far away as possible while still staying within range of our communicators. The Galinedorians have only a few primitive suborbital vehicles and their sensors shouldn't be able to pick us up, but it's best to avoid attracting their attention. There've also been some reports of pirates in neighboring systems, so you should keep your eyes open, just in case."

"Aye, sir, but if you ask me, I think it's strange that they're already developing warp technology. I've checked the sensors. They're barely into their information age, they still lack a unified planetary government, and their powerplants are crude at best."

"Mr. Scott," Spock explained, "the preliminary reports indicate they have managed to reverse engineer some technology salvaged from a crashed spacecraft, apparently with the help of the traders who contacted them before the Federation established the quarantine. However, their prototype is not ready yet."

"That's why we don't need to disguise ourselves as natives. They already know they're not alone. Their governments have been told to expect our presence, but they've asked that we avoid being seen by the general population. For our own safety," Kirk added wryly.

"Well, maybe it's for the best. I wouldn't want to look like them either," Scotty said, looking at Spock out of the corner of his eye.

"Anyway, it's not our job to talk to them," the captain continued, ignoring him. "Mr. Williams, the Federation special envoy, and his assistant are already in their capital talking to the government. They're preparing for the arrival of Ambassador Koenig. They know we're coming and they're expecting our report as soon as we find the survey team."

"Sir, should we expect any hostility on their part?" asked Sulu.

"Not in theory, no. They've been very welcoming so far. But I'd rather we take some precautions anyway. Galinedorian history is reportedly filled with violent strife. And part of the population still distrusts our intentions."

"Then shouldn't we come openly?"

"Mr. Williams has asked for an independent survey team, unmonitored by their government," Spock explained. "He's not satisfied with the answers they've given him, and the Federation Council has accepted his arguments."

"But if they're hiding something, wouldn't they try to stop the survey team? Maybe that's why they're missing," the engineer said, worried.

"So far we have no indication that such a thing has happened," Spock said. "Their initial report said they had no problems establishing their camp, except that their main communicator broke, forcing them to use the backup. It's possible that the backup had the same problem. That would be enough to explain the lack of further communications."

Scotty began to grumble about the lack of quality control in the material provided to civilian teams. It wasn't the first time the _Enterprise_ crew had had to help a survey team fix faulty equipment. But the captain wanted to finish the briefing so they could get on with their assignment. After a string of uneventful missions, he was almost hoping something interesting would happen on this one.

"Mr. Scott, they know to expect our visit. If they find us or the survey team, they may not be happy, but they've already asked to join the Federation, so they'll have to live with it. Now that everyone knows what to do, let's go. We have civilians to rescue."

* * *

"Captain, I have some concerns about the situation on the planet," Spock said as they walked towards the transporter room. "There have been a number of complaints recently about the way the Federation treats newly affiliated planets. As you know, some members claim that the problems of existing Federation planets are being overlooked in favor of newer member races. Any trouble with the diplomatic talks with the Galinedorians may be used to further the opposition to the current Federation focus on increasing membership."

"Spock, you surprise me. You're interested in politics? Since when is there anything logical about that?"

"Captain," Spock replied, managing to sound aggrieved without really changing his tone of voice, "politics is nothing but a sophisticated, complex game, and good players often employ logical strategies, even though their tactics usually work by the emotional manipulation of the public. You have merely to account for the fact that people's real interests are often very different from their stated goals, and that both are almost always predictable, even if they are in fact illogical. The fact that I have no interest in playing the game doesn't mean that I'm unable to follow the strategy behind it."

Kirk stopped and stared at his Vulcan first officer.

"Are you trying to say that you suspect there may be someone interested in the failure of the Galinedorian talks?"

"I'm simply concerned that the controversy over the Federation's policies may affect Starfleet. For instance, it has been suggested that our starships should be restricted from conducting first contact missions. Specifically, there have been a number of complaints about the _Enterprise_ 's actions in recent missions. In that context, the negotiations in Galinedoria Beta IV and any actions we take will be subject to more scrutiny than they would otherwise."

"But, Spock, almost all the complaints were clear fabrications or exaggerations! Even the media isn't swallowing them all."

"Nonetheless, as humans say, a lie repeated enough times may be taken as truth."

"The saying doesn't go quite like that, but I understand what you mean. All right, I'll keep it in mind."

* * *

"Mr. Spock, any sign of the survey team?" They'd already been walking for half an hour after beaming down to the planet's surface on the outskirts of a major city.

"Not yet, Captain. They should have been based near these coordinates, but the tricorder is not picking up any sign of their communicators or of any of their equipment."

"Very well. Let's move toward those hills. They look like a good place to set up camp. If their leader was any good, we should find some traces of them there. Lieutenant Thomson, you and Hill take position near those trees and give us cover. There shouldn't be anyone nearby, but let's not run any unnecessary risks. Siena, come with us."

"Aye, sir," replied Thomson. She signaled Hill to move right while she went left. Ensign Siena, the young technical specialist Mr. Scott had chosen to accompany them, closed in on the two superior officers as she scanned the area with her tricorder. Kirk noticed the device was having trouble picking up nearby signals. Some kind of interference. She tried adjusting the settings, with little success.

The security officers weren't even ten meters away from the group when Spock said quietly, "Captain, I believe we're being observed."

"Where, Spock?" Kirk surreptitiously checked his surroundings, trying to identify what his first officer had seen.

"We are surrounded, sir." The moment Spock said that, they could see soldiers emerging from behind the trees and some nearby rocks. Kirk turned, and there were more running towards them. They were carrying dangerous-looking firearms and didn't look friendly.

One of them, wearing a small tricorne hat in place of a helmet, marched closer, loudly demanding their surrender. Kirk looked at the angry native, noticing his pointed ears and yellow-tinted skin, and turned to Spock.

"The briefing photos didn't do them justice. They do look somewhat like Vulcans - that is, if Vulcans could get jaundice. I don't know, can you get jaundice?"

"Captain, we can discuss appearances and Vulcan diseases later. Should we surrender or attempt to run?"

"Not much chance of running away, and if we fight, there'll be casualties on both sides. Not an auspicious start for interplanetary relations. All right, we surrender."

The five members of the _Enterprise_ team dropped their phasers and the soldiers grabbed them and pushed them, roughly, into a large wheeled transport parked nearby, and drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updated with corrections. All thanks to my brilliant beta, Ersatz Einstein, for helping me turn this into readable form.
> 
> The Doctor will appear in the next chapter. Note that this is the Star Trek universe, but one where Time Lords also came into existence.
> 
> You shouldn't have to know the Doctor to enjoy this story: the crew of the _Enterprise_ certainly don't know him yet.


	2. Imprisoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk meets a mysterious stranger, the Doctor. He has important information to give them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updated with corrections. Thanks again to my brilliant beta, Ersatz Einstein, without whom this chapter would have been far less enjoyable.

_Captain's log, supplemental. After being captured and thrown into a cell, we've waited for hours for an opportunity to negotiate our release. The guards were brutal during our capture but have since left us alone in a dark, damp, and cold cell that seems to be deep underground. Our communicators, tricorders, and phasers have been confiscated, but Thomson says that, given time, she might be able to pick the door lock. I've decided it's better to try to arrange for our release in order to avoid further harm to Galinedorian relations, but we've been ignored thus far. While we have received a couple of bowls of water, we've been given no food and, apart from a brief interrogation when we arrived at this facility, no one has spoken with us._

The four humans and a Vulcan rested on the benches along the walls of the cell, nursing their bruises. Luckily, the Starfleet captain mused, no one had been seriously injured. They talked little and kept their voices low, hoping to hear the guard's approach. That is, if there was one. They had heard nothing yet from the neighboring cells, so they were beginning to believe they were alone in their part of the prison. However, the first officer's sharper hearing was able to pick up faint echoes before any of his companions.

"Captain, I hear steps in the corridor outside," Spock whispered.

Kirk stood and went to the door of their cell, intending to attract the attention of whoever passed by. Before long, he was able to watch through the barred upper portion of the cell door as a group of burly guards dragged closer someone who appeared to be severely injured. One of the guards struck his baton on the door and commanded Kirk to step back, which he did. They opened the door and threw the new prisoner inside.

"You thought we wouldn't find your spy," the leader said, laughing, "but we did! If we find any more humans around, they're dead."

The guards moved away and Kirk, with Hill's help, carried the man, bloody and unconscious, to one of the benches. The others stood nearby, curious about the newcomer but careful to avoid crowding him. The dim light from the single lamp inside the cell was barely enough to see his features. He was tall, thin, and very pale, dressed in some kind of brown suit over a cream-colored turtleneck shirt, brown trousers, and strange shoes with rubber soles. His clothes were dirty, torn, and bloodied. His hair was wild, sticking up and in one place, where he seemed to have received a nasty blow, plastered with blood. He was breathing with difficulty, and his lips were split from the beating he'd clearly suffered at the hands of the guards. Hill, who had field training as a nurse, began to examine him while Kirk stood to talk with Spock.

"Brutes!" he exclaimed, frustrated and angry. Taking a few deep breaths to control himself, he turned to his first officer. "Poor guy. They think he's with us. You've studied the profiles of the members of the survey team. Do you recognize him?"

"He appears to be human, but I do not think he is a member of the survey team. He is taller than any of the members of the team, and his clothing is in neither the standard Federation nor the local style. While in his condition it's hard to make a positive identification, his features are clearly distinct from the three male components of the team. I believe him to be a civilian, Captain, who somehow made his way to the planet. Possibly a trader or one of the fringe explorers."

"Galinedoria Beta IV is a quarantined world, Spock! No other citizen from the Federation should be here."

"I know that, Captain," said Spock, somehow managing to convey exasperation in spite of the flat tone of his voice. "Nevertheless, he is here. Perhaps he will be able to tell us more upon regaining consciousness."

At that moment, Hill stood. "I'm sorry, Captain, but I'm not sure he'll survive. Without a tricorder I can't tell for sure, but from his symptoms he seems to be in shock. He's unconscious, his pulse is erratic, and he seems to be suffering from severe hypothermia. He suffered a number of blows to his head and upper body, and he probably has a concussion, besides a number of broken ribs. It's possible he's suffering from internal bleeding as well. He needs immediate medical care."

Kirk went to the door to call for the guards, but ten minutes of screaming and banging on the door yielded no results. Frustrated, he turned to their fellow prisoner and crouched down next to the bench to look at his face. The man was not part of his crew, but he felt responsible for him anyway. He decided that, for his sake, they should try to leave the place sooner rather than later.

"I'm Captain Kirk, from Starfleet. Just hang in there, pal. We may have to wait a little while until the guards get bored again, but then we'll try to escape. You'll come with us."

Suddenly, the man began to groan and tried to say something. Kirk started, surprised, but bent closer, trying to hear what he was saying.

"Hello, Captain. If you just could move a bit to the left, please ..."

"Calm down and rest. You're in no condition to do anything now," said Kirk, assuming he wanted to sit up.

"No, you don't understand, I'm not in as bad a shape as it seems. I'm faking it. They're watching," he whispered, barely moving his lips.

Kirk quickly understood what he meant, so without turning he lowered his voice.

"How do you know? And, by the way, who are you and how did you get here?"

"Oh, you can call me Doctor, and it's not easy to notice but there are three cameras in this cell. One camera behind you, near the corner, another above the door, and the last one in the middle of the back wall. There are also at least two microphones. If you move slightly to the left, Captain, I may be able to do something about them."

Kirk noticed the man's left hand had moved into his suit, and did as he asked, moving his body to hide his hand from the camera presumably behind him. He wondered how the stranger had managed to identify the cameras when they hadn't, particularly so quickly after getting there.

The Doctor picked up a strange cylindrical instrument with a glowing blue tip. It began to buzz softly as he took advantage of the cover provided by Kirk to wave it a bit.

"I can disable the microphones, but not right now. It wouldn't be good if they got suspicious and just moved us to another cell."

"Doctor, what is that thing?"

"Ah, it's just my sonic screwdriver. I built it myself. I sort of like tinkering and building things."

"You hid it in your clothes! Very good. They took all our equipment and weapons."

"They didn't–" He winced in pain. "They didn't think I might have inner pockets. They've kind of fallen out of fashion, haven't they, but I've always thought pockets are useful ..."

"Are you sure you're all right? You don't seem well."

"I'm okay… Well, not quite, you see, they were quite enthusiastic, and I couldn't fake passing out too soon. But we've been talking for too long, Captain. You should tell your people about the surveillance, but try to act normally. They expect you to attempt an escape, so you might try to distract them a bit. I have some information that you must know. I'll explain what I can later."

"Very well. Rest for a bit while I talk to my team."

Once the Doctor had hidden his tool, Kirk stood and called Hill to watch over him. He went to the other members of the away team. They'd been watching him talk to the injured man and were curious.

"He's not well. We'll have to leave soon if he's to survive, so waiting for a negotiated release is no longer an option," he spoke softly, but not too much, so the microphones would pick up his words. He motioned them closer and signaled them to follow his lead. "Right now, it's better not to move him, so we'll have to wait a bit and see if he can recover enough to walk out on his own. Any ideas?"

As they discussed escape plans in low voices, he continued using hand signals to communicate that they were being watched and listened to, and that they needed to be careful in what they said. The security code Spock had been insisting the whole crew should learn was proving to be very valuable and well worth their effort. Spock gestured back to confirm that he could also see the cameras. Of course, Kirk thought, once his first officer knew to look for them, his Vulcan eyesight would quickly spot them.

Leaving them to talk strategy, Kirk knelt by the bench to resume talking with the Doctor.

"Be careful not to overexert yourself. Our nurse has examined you. He said you have broken bones and possible internal bleeding, and we don't have any means of helping you here. We may have to move soon for your sake."

"Things are more dangerous than you know, Captain. They beat me because they were hoping to force you into escaping to try to save my life. They plan to kill us as soon as we try."

"How do you know that? Who are you?"

"Oh, just a traveler passing by, Captain. I wasn't planning to land here, really, but-" Another wince cut him short.

"We'll have more time to talk later," said Kirk. "Right now, just tell me what we need to know in order to escape."

"I heard them talking when they thought I was out. There are others here, outsiders interested in this planet. They plan to force your ship to fire on the planet, or if they can't, to fake an attack. Your deaths while escaping would serve as an explanation."

Kirk felt a shiver down his spine. If what the Doctor said was true, they had landed in the middle of a conspiracy to sabotage the diplomatic efforts of the Federation. Given the current political climate in the Federation council, the results could be explosive. Galinedoria Beta IV itself wasn't of great strategic importance, but it was a heavily populated planet, and such an incident there could have grave repercussions.

He looked back to the injured man and noticed he was watching him, as if measuring his reaction. The Doctor nodded. "Yes, Captain, it's a tricky situation. We must be careful or many will suffer."

"I suppose you have a plan."

"Yes. We should try to leave in three and a half hours, when the night shift is at its least attentive. The Galinedorians have a relatively inflexible circadian rhythm, you see."

"How do you know that?" asked the surprised Captain.

"Ah, just something I've heard in passing. Very fortunate, though."

"Very. All right. Thomson said she could pick the lock, but with the cameras we'll have to hurry. Even if they're half asleep ..."

"No. Listen, Captain. Don't worry about that. I can handle it. You should try to convince whoever is listening that we'll try to escape in the morning. Make up a good, believable plan. You've seen the room on the opposite side of the corridor, right?"

"Yes, we noticed that they left our equipment there."

"Phasers and communicators, yes. They want you to think you can use your ship's transporters to beam out, but we're too deep–" He winced again. "I can't hold it much longer, I must go to sleep ..."

"No you can't. You have a concussion, it's too dangerous!"

"Believe me, Captain, I know my condition very well." He looked into Kirk's eyes. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. There's a way we can escape while avoiding any confrontation with the guards. You just do your best to convince them that we'll wait until morning – that's some six hours from now. You should sleep too, and send your nurse. Hurry, please," he added, grimacing and turning his head.

"All right," said Kirk. He wasn't at all sure of their odds, but somehow he felt he could trust the man to know what he was doing. He stood and, not bothering to keep his voice low, told the others that the Doctor was resting and asked Hill to check on him.

As Hill bent to check his patient's pulse, the Doctor muttered something. He crouched closer and, clearly obeying the Doctor's instructions, moved to block the hidden cameras' view of the injured man's hands. Kirk understood, the Doctor was getting ready to disable the microphones. He gathered Spock and Thomson and resumed their discussion on escape plans. They were whispering, but they were close enough to one of the microphones to ensure most of their words would be heard. He suggested a morning escape attempt and they began hashing out the details. They ended up with a fairly reasonable plan. There weren't many viable options, but Spock's memory of the path they followed when coming down to the cell level was good enough to plan a couple of alternate routes. If they could get close enough to ground level the _Enterprise_ 's transporters would be able to beam them up. For good measure, Kirk mentioned that they were too tired to run right away anyway, so they'd have a better chance in the morning.

When they finished, he told the others to go to sleep. He really hoped that any listeners would fall for their ruse and relax their guard, and that the Doctor's plan, whatever it was, would work, because they had no other workable ideas except fighting it out, as their captors wanted, and hoping to survive. As they were moving to their bunks to try to sleep, he noticed the Doctor shifting to lie on his back and Hill coming to report on his condition. That was when he knew the plan was in motion.

He told Hill to lie down, and pulled Spock aside. He quietly told him what the Doctor had said and listened to his views on the situation before both went to their benches to sleep, or at least fake it.


	3. Breakout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock is curious about the Doctor, some questions are answered while new ones are raised, and they attempt to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updated with corrections.

Spock stayed awake and alert, sitting on his bench in a meditation pose and monitoring the situation. The rest of his team, even the captain, had dozed off in spite of the uncomfortable benches. He noticed that their fellow prisoner hadn't moved in all that time. Three hours into the enforced silence, he was considering waking up the rest of the team when he noticed the Doctor moving slightly.

The Vulcan was curious about the so-called 'doctor'. There were many incongruities in both his words and his person. But the captain had limited their conversation about the stranger earlier, and he had agreed fully with the decision. There was only so much they could convey with the signal language they'd adopted. It was designed for fast, concealed communication of crucial information in situations they might be under surveillance; as a result, it was unwieldy and inadequate for extended discussion and elaborate reasoning. Furthermore, talking needed be kept to a minimum for the moment, not only to avoid attracting the attention of those monitoring them, but also to prevent the Doctor from overhearing. It would be unwise to risk letting their suspicions be known, especially when they couldn't do anything about them at present.

It was possible, but unlikely, that the Doctor was working with their captors. As a stratagem to put someone closer to them, it seemed unnecessarily convoluted. Besides, Hill had checked at least some of his injuries, and they were real enough. But it was also extremely unlikely he was just a passerby who had been unwittingly caught in the situation. He was too knowledgeable about what was going on for that. Spock strongly suspected he was involved in some manner that had led him to be caught on the same side as the _Enterprise_ team. At least that meant working with him would be safe until they managed to escape. But the first officer still had to determine whether the Doctor really possessed the knowledge and abilities he claimed, or if he was exaggerating in some way that could result in their deaths.

Spock had had some difficulty identifying the cameras: they were very well disguised, and even with better lighting it would be difficult to spot them. He had only managed it by following clues about their general location, and he couldn't quite understand how the Doctor had done it. Either he had abnormally enhanced senses for a human, or that tool of his could operate like a tricorder.

That was another thing. 'Sonic screwdriver' was an impressive, yet ultimately meaningless name probably unrelated to the underlying technology. Spock knew of a few ways to accomplish the disabling of the microphones that the Doctor claimed he had done. However, each method depended on the technology of said microphones and other circumstances he was unable to ascertain. Even if the blue-tipped cylindrical device really had similar capabilities to a tricorder, disabling the microphones was still an impressive feat, especially when done covertly and from the Doctor's position. Spock knew there was equipment that could be disguised as something like the Doctor's tool. Starfleet still adhered to traditional designs and practical concerns that made their tricorders and other devices look like cumbersome, if highly reliable, antiques. But intelligence personnel, among others, had different needs. Still, pragmatic considerations meant that interfacing with a miniaturized device would be a problem, and that could limit the flexibility of such a tool.

His medical condition was also in question. Nurse Hill had been confused by the conflicting symptoms he found when examining him. Spock wasn't familiar with human physiology, but even he knew that some of the symptoms pointed to significant, possibly life-threatening, trauma. However, in spite of his obvious pain, the Doctor had seemed perfectly coherent, aware of his situation, and convinced he'd recover enough to help them. But it was possible that he was deluded, or at the very least incorrect about his prognosis. For that reason, Spock had kept a quiet watch on his sleep and monitored his breathing, alert for any sign of change in his condition.

Now that the Doctor was awake, Spock was determined to find out more about him and whether they could trust him to help them escape. He stood and approached him, intent on questioning him about his plans. He noticed that the tool was in the Doctor's hand, partially hidden between his body and the wall. The blue tip was barely glowing at all, but a buzzing noise came and went, presumably as he fiddled with its settings.

"Doctor, I am Spock. Are you feeling better?" He kept his voice soft, as there could be other listening devices outside the cell.

"I'm fine, Spock," he answered at the same volume, somewhat annoyed. "We'll have to move soon. The guards must be less alert by now."

"I'll call the others, then."

"No, wait. I'm about to loop the images from the cameras. Return to where you were until I've managed to set the feed to repeat itself. Then you can get them."

Spock wondered how the Doctor's little tool could do that as well and added it to his growing list of things in need of clarification. He went back to the bench and awaited the Doctor's signal. After a while the Doctor sat up and nodded to him, so he approached again. The Doctor began to pull a number of objects from his suit's internal pockets and lay them on his bench, examining them intently. Spock recognized at least two components of a Starfleet computer assembly, some electronic parts and pieces that looked more or less familiar, and others that were definitely of alien design. He finally took two small objects from the pile and put the rest back. Then he turned towards the Vulcan officer, as if surprised he was standing there.

"Spock, I thought you were going to call the others."

"We still have some minutes, Doctor. Maybe I can help you with whatever you're doing now while the others rest for a bit longer."

The Doctor, apparently irritated, seemed to be about to say something, but then stopped and sighed. "I guess I should have expected that. No, you can't help me, unless you have a toolkit hidden somewhere on your person. But I suspect you have questions, eh?"

"I would like to clarify some points, yes."

"All right, just wait a moment while I check something," he whispered. He stood, moving gingerly but otherwise not showing the effects of his injuries, and went next to the cell door. Then he activated his tool, which buzzed softly for a while, shining its blue light towards the lock, then around the door. "I believe it's okay if we talk now as long as we keep our voices down. There are no other microphones or cameras in the vicinity." He turned back to his bench and sat, picking up the largest item and examining it with his tool.

Spock waited, but the Doctor didn't look back towards him, apparently engrossed in his examination of the object. So he tried to call his attention, "Doctor."

"What?" The Doctor glanced at the Vulcan and went back to fiddling with the thing. "Go on, I can multitask perfectly well. There's a lot to be done and not much time to do it, so if you want to ask questions just go ahead."

"Very well. I assume your tool can function in a manner similar to a tricorder."

"Not really, but maybe you could say that, yes. It has the same functions as a tricorder, among others."

"So that's how you were able to detect the cameras within this cell."

The Doctor looked up and stared at him for a couple of moments. Spock looked back, raising his eyebrow. The Doctor went back to carefully using the tool to do something to the object in his hands. "Not quite. I heard them talking, when they thought I was unconscious, and I realized you were under surveillance. I managed to glimpse a screen showing the viewpoint from the camera situated in the back of the cell, so I could infer the position of the others. But I couldn't be certain until I managed to scan the room with the cover provided by your captain."

"And the microphones?"

"There was only one cable servicing both devices, so it was just a matter of finding a spot where it could be fused. This cell originally had no provision for surveillance equipment, so they had to pass the cables through channels dug into the surrounding rock to minimize visible traces of their work. But the mice analogues here are particularly fond of electric cables, and they probably have a lot of trouble with them munching through cabling, so if one was cut, they wouldn't be surprised."

"That still doesn't explain what you claimed to do with the cameras."

"Their technology is still based on transistors. The optical component is quite sophisticated, but the control circuits can be easily reprogrammed from a distance as long as you have the correct tool. It took some delicate work, but it was perfectly feasible. My tool," he continued, "was built with such uses in mind." He put the object he had been handling to the side, picked up the other, and raised his head to look at the Vulcan. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Just one more question. You haven't told the captain much about yourself. Why should we trust you?" The direct approach should be best, he thought.

"Do you want to discuss it now?" the Doctor replied, examining the item in his hand. He adjusted his tool and began buzzing the object with it. "Maybe because I'm a fellow prisoner whose life is at stake, the same as yours. Maybe because without my help," he glanced briefly to the Vulcan's side, as if he was looking at something behind him, "you might have escaped, but not without casualties or serious repercussions. But chiefly," and at that he looked right into the Vulcan's eyes, "because it's the logical thing to do. I promise you can trust me, Spock. I can't give you stronger reassurances at the moment, but we'll talk later, and I'll tell you all I can. Right now, though, we don't have the time. I hope that that's enough."

"It will do." Spock was impressed by the way the Doctor had understood and responded to his questions. He clearly had a disciplined and logical mind, and was exceptionally intelligent, at least by human standards. He hadn't explained everything, but considering the limited time they had it was more than Spock had expected.

The Doctor nodded and returned to his work. "I'm nearly finished, so you should raise the others. We need to discuss what we're going to do, and I expect your captain will have some questions as well."

"Thank you, Doctor. I will."

* * *

By the time the Doctor finally put both objects back on the bench, the away team was already up and around him.

"You look much better now, Doctor. I believe a brief introduction is in order. I'm Captain James Kirk, of the Federation starship _Enterprise_. Here's my team: Commander Spock, Lieutenant Lara Thomson, Crewman Jack Hill, and Specialist Roxanne Siena," Kirk began. Spock noticed that the Doctor flinched, almost imperceptibly, when he heard their ship's name. Curious.

"Hello, everyone, I'm the Doctor," he said, but before someone could ask the inevitable question, he added quickly, "or if you must, Doctor John Smith, but I prefer that you simply call me Doctor."

"Thank you, Doctor. Now, you said you could open the door lock, right?"

"Yes, but there's a problem. There are a couple of sensor devices in the door. I can deactivate one, but not the other, not in the time we have. I believe I can delay the alarm trigger a bit, but once we break out of the cell, we'll have to move fast." He stood and moved towards the door. Siena, who had been watching him curiously while he tinkered with the objects, followed him.

"Are you recovered enough to run?" Kirk asked. "There's no cover in these corridors, but we can pick up our equipment and then use the stairs at the end of the corridor. Maybe we'll only need to climb a couple of levels before we can contact our ship and beam out."

The Doctor attached one of the devices to the door next to the lock and began to buzz the other with his tool, ignoring the question about his condition. "No, we're too deep. We would have to climb at least three levels before your communicators were able to work. I doubt they'd let us go that far. They're not stupid. We'll have only one chance, and my plan is better."

"Let's hear it, then."

"We move into the guards' room across the corridor. I felt a soft breeze and humming coming from it earlier, so there should be a ventilation shaft that will make it easier to contact your ship."

"He is correct, Captain," said Spock. "I felt it too, though I am uncertain if it will be sufficient."

"All right, we'll try it. Anything to avoid having to fight it out."

"One important thing, though." The Doctor stopped and looked at them. "You mustn't linger behind. I don't know how long we'll have, and there may be other cameras down the corridor. The less time we're exposed the better."

"Agreed. Let's go."

"Wait, I'm almost finished ... There! Quickly now!"

"Everyone, across the corridor and into the room. Pick up your equipment. Spock, try to contact the _Enterprise_. Doctor, stay close to us," ordered the captain. Spock ran ahead and entered the room, quickly finding the light switch and turning it on. There was a table against the left wall, and on it, the equipment confiscated from the away team. He picked a communicator and his tricorder and moved towards the back wall, where there was a large circular air vent next to the ceiling. He began adjusting the communicator's settings in an effort to pick up the signal from the _Enterprise_ , but there was nothing.

"Brilliant! Here's my coat!" the Doctor exclaimed happily, picking up the long dark brown overcoat draped across a chair near the back of the room. "I didn't want to leave it behind."

Most of the others were already inside the guards' room, but Siena had stopped for a moment to examine the door lock and was the last to leave the cell. At that moment they heard a flurry of shots being fired down the corridor. As she was about to enter the room, she was hit in the arm and fell inside with a cry. Reacting quickly, Thomson pulled her inside while Kirk fired back a few shots with his phaser on stun before Hill closed the door. It was solid and heavy enough to protect them for a while, but they were trapped.


	4. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The away team finally escape to the Enterprise, bringing the Doctor with them, but they aren't in the clear yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updated with corrections.

The door was closed, but they could hear the guards taking up positions outside. Someone pounded at the door and shouted, ordering them to open the door and surrender. They ignored him. Spock was experimenting with the settings on his communicator to see if he could get in contact with the _Enterprise_. Thomson went to the back of the room to check on the ventilation shaft opening while Hill seated Siena and checked her arm with his medikit. The dark-skinned technician was subdued, her pain evident from the grimace in her face, but she remained upright and kept her self-control. Spock stole a glance at the other two in the room. The Doctor looked agitated, pacing from one side to the other and glancing towards the wounded specialist while Kirk stared at him, eyes wide. He asked himself what it was that had surprised the captain.

"I'm sorry, Captain! I underestimated them. I was convinced we'd be able to sneak out before they noticed, but they must've seen through us. The guards were probably waiting all night behind the corners at the stairs and near the elevator." He pulled at his hair, which was already sticking out in all directions. Spock wondered for far from the first time why humans so often resorted to nervous tics.

Without turning, Kirk asked, "Spock, any success in contacting the _Enterprise_?"

"There is a signal, but it's too faint. I am attempting to boost it." But the captain must have noticed his concerned looks at their new friend.

"Doctor, it wasn't your fault. If we'd tried to go for the stairs, we'd have run right into them. We might have overpowered them, but –"

"No no no, you don't understand, Captain! The Wamarraki must have planned for all contingencies."

"Wamarraki?"

"The outsiders I told you about. You see, we have to leave. Now. They have at least one ship in orbit. They won't wait. Your ship, the _Enterprise_ , is in danger!" The Doctor took out his cylindrical tool and began waving it around, pointing it towards the back wall, then turning slowly around.

"Doctor, you could perhaps help me in adjusting the tricorder to serve as a repeater," said Spock, thinking maybe he needed something else to focus on. "One of us could climb into the ventilation shaft and use it to reach the _Enterprise_."

"Well, yes, it might work, good idea, make it a booster, but no…" He frowned and stared at his 'sonic screwdriver' as if he were reading a display, although Spock was reasonably certain that there was none. The captain was also watching and decided to step in.

"Right! Thomson, we'll remove the grill from the vent. Doctor, you help Spock adjust the tricorder," Kirk ordered.

"Ah, no, sorry. Things to do. Just go on. Spock doesn't need me, and I don't need the tricorder. What I need is… a communicator…" He looked around. "Captain, may I have yours?"

Kirk glanced at his first officer and, seeing him shrug, got Thomson's communicator to give the Doctor. "Alright, here it is. Do what you can, and try to stay out of the others' way."

"Thanks, Captain!" He immediately began disassembling the communicator and using his tool at it. Spock stopped watching him and turned his attention to the tricorder.

"Captain, there appears to be a scattering field between us and the _Enterprise_. Mr. Scott must have brought the ship closer and stationed it almost directly on top of this building, otherwise, we would have been unable to get anything. However, it is not enough for communication, or for transporters. It will take me some time to adjust the frequency and compensate for the field."

"Do what you can, Mr. Spock." Kirk and Thomson managed to open the air vent, and the captain helped the lieutenant to climb in to have a look.

"Captain, the ventilation shaft's wide enough to climb into, but there's a grille blocking access to the main shaft. I may be able to remove the fastenings with a phaser."

"Go ahead, Thomson." Kirk passed her the phaser and went to check on Siena. "How's she doing, Mr. Hill?"

"The bullet passed through her arm, sir. It's not good, but it missed the bone and the major blood vessels. I've stopped the bleeding." He indicated the wounded arm, bandaged and wrapped in a sling. "She should avoid moving it too much until we're back on the ship."

"I'm fine, Captain. Are we going to climb in there?"

"If we have to. That alright?"

"No problem, sir!"

"Very good. Siena, see if you can help Spock. Hill, help me move the table so we can use it to climb into the vent."

For a few minutes everyone was busy: the captain, Thomson, and Hill struggled to clear the way into the main shaft as the Doctor busied himself doing something to his communicator and Siena and Spock tried to contact the _Enterprise_. She adjusted the communicator's settings while Spock tuned the tricorder to boost the signal. He said nothing, but he was impressed by the young technician's capability and knowledgeability. He made a mental note to forward a commendation for her performance to Mr. Scott.

While they managed to get the signal clear enough to hear Mr. Scott's voice for a couple of seconds, there was a lot of noise, and he realized that their task was going to be harder than he'd thought. He turned to talk to Siena, but at that moment he smelled something strange.

"Captain! They're using gas."

"Gas?" The Doctor jumped and ran closer to the vent, sniffing the air. "Ah, nothing to worry about. Just some kind of tear gas with a mild hallucinogen added to the mix."

Kirk gaped at the Doctor. "Nothing to worry about?"

"It's not as if it was nerve gas, is it? They don't want to kill us, not yet. Just force your hand, make you desperate."

"I'd say it's working," said the captain, already feeling the effects in his eyes and throat. "Spock, can we contact the _Enterprise_?"

"Perhaps, Captain. We will have a greater chance from inside the ventilation shaft."

"All right, everyone, let's climb in."

"But the gas is coming from it!" exclaimed Siena. "We'll suffocate."

"No we won't, and that's an order. Doctor, you too."

But the Doctor was absorbed in whatever adjustments he was making to the communicator and didn't even raise his head. "Just a moment. I'm almost there."

All but the Doctor and the captain had already climbed in. Spock was lying on the horizontal shaft waiting to help them. Kirk pressed, "Doctor. Now."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming! I think I've done it. Try this, Captain," he said, using the chair as a step to climb up the table and handing him the modified communicator. Kirk tried it as the Doctor pointed his buzzing tool towards it.

"Captain! Are you all right?" came Scotty's voice.

"Scotty, six to beam up. Fix on my and Spock's positions. Do it now!" As he finished, they all felt the transporter's effects and soon found themselves in the _Enterprise_ 's transporter room. Though coughing a bit from the gas, they were all right. The communicator in Kirk's hand sizzled and smoked, and he dropped it, barely noticing as he did so.

"Scotty, raise shields!" Kirk hadn't forgotten the Doctor's warning that the _Enterprise_ might be attacked. "Report."

"Shields are up, Cap'n! We lowered them just long enough for the transports. We got worried when you missed the scheduled check-ins, so I brought the _Enterprise_ close to the planet to search for you. The Galinedorians detected us and sent some shuttles to try to scare us away. We're talking to them, but they can't harm us, sir, not with our shields up."

"Excellent work, Mr. Scott." The door opened and a medical team led by Doctor McCoy rushed in to check the members of the team.

"My God, Jim, what happened down there? Your eyes are red…"

"Siena was shot, Bones. Check her first." He turned to their guest. "Welcome to the _Enterprise_ , Doctor. Thank you for your help. I'll need to talk to you later, but first you should go to sickbay to have your injuries checked. I have to go to the bridge. Spock, with me."

"Captain, I should go with you. You may need my help against the Wamarraki."

"I concur, Captain," said Spock.

Kirk looked between the two of them and quickly made up his mind. "Very well, but you'll have to do as we say, no hesitation or delay. Is that clear?"

"Clear, Captain!" The Doctor grinned and strode forward to join the two command officers as they left. Spock noticed that Kirk signaled one of the two security officers posted there to follow them. The Doctor might be an ally, but he was still a stranger on the _Enterprise_.

* * *

The Doctor walked behind them, looking around curiously, while Kirk talked with Spock. But as they entered the turbolift, the captain turned to their guest.

"Doctor, who are the Wamarraki? I don't remember having heard about them. Spock, you?"

"No, Captain. As far as I know, there is no record of a species known as Wamarraki."

"The Wamarraki aren't a species. They're mercenaries. Technically a semi-official force within the Omora Confederacy, but they sometimes act beyond the confederacy's borders. You wouldn't have heard of them."

"The Omora are a long way from the Federation borders. We know little about them beyond the fact that they exist. How do you know about them?" Kirk asked.

"I've never been there, if that's what you're asking, but I met a small group of Wamarraki once. I recognized them here from their badges."

"What can you tell us about them?"

"Well, it all depends on who they're working for. They often use others' weapons and ships, so I can't tell you what you might be facing, but they're well-trained, ruthless, and extremely dedicated and loyal to their employers. But they normally rely on their fearsome reputation to scare the opposition into fleeing or surrendering outright. They aren't known for employing covert tactics, as seems to be the case here."

"How would the Galinedorians have found and hired them?"

"I don't think they're on the Galinedorians' payroll. No, I believe both are being used by a third party who doesn't want to show itself."

"I concur, Captain. If the Galinedorians wanted to recruit mercenaries, there would be other options, much closer to their planet," Spock added.

"And cheaper, too," the Doctor completed.

As they prepared to enter the bridge, the red alert began to sound. Kirk went straight to his chair. "Report, Mr. Sulu."

"There's a fleet of eight Galinedorian vessels coming in our direction. Highly elliptical trajectory. They haven't responded to our hails, but the two similar vessels that were shadowing us have assumed a more aggressive posture. It's possible they're getting ready to attack."

Spock assumed his post and checked the vessels' projected paths. "Captain, these ships are armed with missiles with high-yield nuclear warheads, six per vessel. If they fire at us from their current trajectory, any missile that misses will enter the atmosphere and impact on the planet's surface."

"Why risk killing their own people to get us?"

"They don't care, Captain." It was the Doctor who responded, Spock noted, surprised. He was standing towards the back of the bridge, leaning against the rail and watching the trajectory data displayed in the bridge viewscreen. It carried less information than the science station's scope, but it showed the whole planet's surface. "Their missiles would impact on the southern continent. Those currently leading the world council are from the northern continent. They are fierce rivals." Spock remembered it mentioned in passing in the briefing papers. The Doctor was not only well informed, but clearly possessed of a very good memory and a quick mind.

"How long before they come into range?" Kirk asked.

"They could release the missiles at any point, sir," Chekhov piped up. "They'd follow a ballistic trajectory towards us. Both they and their missiles will be upon us in fifteen minutes, but we can easily evade or shoot them down."

"Not so fast, Mr. Chekhov. There are nearly fifty missiles and we can't be sure of getting them all. I don't want any casualties among the Galinedorians… Very well. Let's back off. They want to provoke us into a fight, but we can simply refuse. They can't fire at us if we're not in front of them, and they don't have enough fuel to follow us around. Mr. Sulu –"

"Captain! The two closest vessels have changed course. They're coming at us, sir!" Chekhov called.

"On screen." Everyone on the bridge saw as the two vessels, in fact smaller and just a little more advanced than the old NASA space shuttles, closed in and fired.

Spock watched as the bridge crew worked to shoot the twelve projectiles down with phasers on minimum, high dispersion. Even if they impacted their shields, a few missiles wouldn't be enough to damage the starship, but caution was the logical path. Spock noted that the Doctor was silently observing all from the back of the bridge, frowning slightly. He was about to turn back to watch the progress of the 'battle' on the main screen when a sensor beeped on his console.

"Captain, there's a ship uncloaking behind us," he reported. "It looks like a Klingon Bird of Prey."

"Evasive maneuvers! Uhura, open a channel."

However, before the main viewscreen could pan to show the warship behind them, it fired, its beams bypassing the _Enterprise_ and hitting the Galinedorian vessels. The bridge crew watched, horrified, as the two small ships were utterly destroyed before them. The screen shifted just in time to show, for a couple of moments, a black warship against the brilliant background of the planet below them, before it cloaked again and disappeared.


	5. Space Combat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Enterprise has to fight a mysterious cloaked ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated with corrections.

Kirk felt the increased acceleration as the inertial compensators struggled to keep up with a tight turn. He watched proudly as the helmsman sent the _Enterprise_ into a series of apparently random loops and turns designed to counter the advantage of a cloaked vessel in close combat while the other bridge officers looked for traces of the hidden ship. Since their first encounter with a Romulan warship near the neutral zone, they'd been developing tactics against cloaked opponents that forced them to risk exposing themselves when attacking. Now he would see if all their efforts were enough to emerge victorious. Besides their cloaking device, the enemy had another significant advantage, since the _Enterprise_ had to worry about minimizing casualties on the planet below.

"Spock, analysis."

"The ship bears a strong resemblance to the Klingon Birds of Prey Starfleet has already encountered, but there are enough significant differences to suggest this is a new, heretofore unknown design. The impulse engines have the standard Klingon energy signature, but I have also identified some energy traces not previously associated with Klingon vessels. It might be a prototype, modified to incorporate a cloaking device similar to that used by the Romulans."

"Could a normal Klingon warship have been acquired and extensively modified by the mercenaries the Doctor mentioned?"

"It is possible, Captain."

"Sir," Sulu broke in, "we could climb to a higher altitude, using pattern Gamma Three, to give ourselves more space to maneuver." The _Enterprise_ had begun to climb to a more stable orbit as soon as they were aboard, only to stop when the Galinedorians attacked. As a result, they were still about eight hundred kilometers above the surface of the planet, which limited the maneuvers they could perform. There was also the small matter of the other Galinedorian vessels approaching in an attack vector, armed with nuclear-tipped missiles.

"Good idea, Mr. Sulu–"

"Don't!" Surprised, Kirk turned and saw the Doctor looking straight at him. He was holding on to the rail behind the Captain's chair, managing to stand straight in spite of the wildly maneuvering ship. The two security officers posted to the bridge watched him closely, but he ignored them completely. "Captain, I advise caution before trying to move too far from our current position."

Kirk returned the stare, but the intensity in the Doctor's eyes made him shiver. "Why?"

"That warship is here to pin the _Enterprise_ down until the other Galinedorian vessels are close enough to engage. If you try to leave the area, they'll fire on us from behind."

Kirk hadn't missed the brief look of horrified realization in the Doctor's eyes at the first shots in the prison. He'd quickly managed to mask it under a facade of mere anxiety, but that made the Captain suspect the situation was more dangerous than they'd thought. The cloaked warship, though an unpleasant surprise, hadn't been completely unexpected. He only hoped there wouldn't be any other nasty surprises in their future.

"Doctor, if you know anything about their goals and tactics we can use, now is the time to tell us." Kirk knew he'd have to wait until the current crisis had been resolved before he could really interrogate the Doctor, but that didn't mean he couldn't seek some answers before then.

"They want evidence they can use to claim the Enterprise fired on the planet," the Doctor began as if he were a teacher repeating the lesson for the umpteenth time to a particularly dimwitted student. "They're trying to force a confrontation between you and the Galinedorians. The cloaked warship hasn't fired on us yet, but if they see you moving away, they will. You'd have to evade and reply. Any stray shot may hit a populated area in the planet below. If that happens, they win." The bridge crew, with the exception of the busy Sulu and Chekov, joined the captain in listening to the Doctor's explanation, openmouthed at his arrogance. He hadn't even bothered to react to the implied accusation.

"Doctor." Kirk forced himself to stay calm. "The _Enterprise_ will not fire in the planet's direction, and we'll certainly not fire on their populated areas."

"Ah, but they won't care who fires the shots. They want real casualties on the ground and evidence to pin them on the Federation. The weapon's energy signature should do nicely. I believe you'll find that the warship has been equipped with standard Starfleet weapons."

"He is correct, Captain," Spock said. "The energy signature on the debris field corresponds to that of a phaser of the same type as those on the _Enterprise_. I would also add that the warship uses low-observable techniques to minimize detection even when uncloaked."

"You mean it's painted black," Kirk translated.

"Exactly. The Galinedorian radar cannot track either of us, but they are almost certainly monitoring us carefully on their long-range optical scanners."

The Doctor was grinning. "You got it. If you fire at them when they're between us and the planet, or if that ship gets close enough to fire downwards from our position, they'll have the records to pin the casualties on you."

"But we managed to escape from the prison without casualties, or even serious injuries, on either side. They can no longer claim that as an explanation for a purported attack from the _Enterprise_." Kirk felt a headache forming. He didn't appreciate being lectured at.

"I have to admit I misjudged the situation earlier. They, or rather the Wamarraki, didn't care whether we died or not. They don't need an explanation." The Doctor was becoming more animated by the minute, and he started to pace and wave his arms around. He almost fell as the ship initiated another turn, forcing him to hurriedly reach for the handrail. "Most likely, they wanted us to try to escape because it was the best way to keep the _Enterprise_ close to the planet's surface. Maybe they also hoped to convince Mr. Scott, or Mr. Sulu here, to fire on the prison building in an attempt to disable the scattering field and rescue your team. What's certain is that the moment we left the prison cell, their plan was set into motion." He pointed at Kirk. "That was when the Galinedorians dropped from high orbit with orders to attack the _Enterprise_. They didn't expect us to leave the surface so fast. That warship uncloaking was their contingency plan."

"Thank you, Doctor," he said, managing to hide his irritation. The man's reasoning made sense. Of course, he would've eventually arrived at the same conclusions, but time was admittedly short. "Very well. Let's see how far those Galinedorian pilots are willing to go. Mr. Sulu, we are currently above the equatorial region, and the ships are approaching from the northwest. Let's keep our altitude, but slowly move northwards to see how they react."

Sulu changed his maneuver pattern so that each loop and turn would bring them a little further north. Not two minutes had passed before the Galinedorians noticed and adjusted their trajectories, sacrificing part of their precious fuel reserves in their unwillingness to lose the _Enterprise_. Their trajectory would take them past the maneuvering _Enterprise_ towards the southeastern tip of the main continent, a heavily populated area close to the capital.

"Captain, Galinedorian space control is contacting us, demanding that we move away," said Uhura.

"Tell them to call off their ships."

"Sir, they say the ships are refusing to acknowledge their orders. They sound scared."

"I'll bet they are. Any sign of our cloaked friend?"

"The exhaust of their impulse engines indicates that they are close, but not enough to pinpoint their location," said Spock. "

"Well, we can't stick around. How long until those ships are on us, Mr. Chekov?"

"Nine minutes, Captain."

"Mr. Sulu, let's move southeast. It'll seem as if we're running from them, but any missiles they fire towards us would fall on the ocean, and it'll buy us some time." Any nuclear missile explosion inside the atmosphere would be a nightmare, especially on a heavily populated planet. But he had to do his best to minimize the risk to urban areas. He watched as Sulu made a slightly wider turn, moving them a thousand kilometers south in a few seconds. The Galinedorian vessels quickly adjusted their trajectory to keep the _Enterprise_ in their sights.

"Very well, those vessels are intent on attacking us and they don't seem to care about their own casualties. We can't move away safely until we've dealt with the cloaked warship. I want options."

Before anyone had a chance to say anything, the Bird of Prey uncloaked again and fired, as if to remind them of its existence and continued threat. Fortunately, Sulu had just begun an inverted loop, so the beams only grazed the _Enterprise_ shields before dissipating into deep space. There was still a definite impact, and some of the bridge stations glowed red with warning lights. Chekov fired phasers in response, but the warship had already disappeared. They watched as their beams passed beyond the horizon to the planet's night side, illuminated by the bright lights of the southern continent's large urban areas.

Kirk punched the internal comm switch. "Damage report!"

The various sections reported clear, except in engineering, where a capacitor had blown up, injuring three crewmen.

"Shields at ninety-five percent strength, sir. Phasers ready."

"Thank you, Mr. Chekov. Now, about those –"

"Captain, a satellite in a low orbit has a low-intensity laser beam on us," interjected Spock. "It is most likely meant to guide their missiles towards us, as their radar is ineffective."

"Chekov, shoot it down."

"Two other satellites have joined the first, sir," the tactical officer reported, quickly adjusting the sensors to track them on the viewscreen. "There are also lasers on us from both the attacking vessels and an unknown planetside installation. If they fire their missiles now, they'll be able to track us even at this distance. We must shoot them down before that."

"I would not recommend that course of action," Spock intervened. "The moment we fire at their launcher platforms, those ships that survive will immediately fire all their weapons. The missiles might attempt to follow us through our maneuvers, lose track and be diverted towards the planet."

"I agree," Kirk replied. "Mr. Chekov, destroy the satellites, but do not fire on the vessels. The last thing we want is a cloud of missiles on wild trajectories. They'd be all but impossible to track and shoot down before they entered the atmosphere." The captain noticed that the Doctor was barely able to contain himself. "Do you want to say something, Doctor?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He beamed and stepped around the rail to approach the captain's chair. "I believe I can help you track the vessel while it's cloaked."

"Would that be possible? How?"

"I need to use your science station, but yes. I think I can calculate the frequency of the cloaking device and adjust your sensors accordingly."

Kirk glanced at his science officer. Seeing Spock's slight nod, he turned back to the Doctor. "Very well, do what you can. Mr. Spock, help him. How long do we have now, Mr. Chekov?"

"They're seven minutes away at most, sir."

"Mr. Sulu, let's keep drifting south. The further we can divert them from populated areas, the better."

"Sir, it's uncloaking again!" cried Chekov. "Above and ahead of us!"

The viewscreen panned to show the black warship against the starlit background. It fired again, and this time Sulu's maneuvers were not enough. The _Enterprise_ was hit by one of the beams, and the whole ship shuddered. The other beam missed, hitting the planet below. They could see the bright flash near an urban area on the night side.

"Shields holding, sir. 82% strength," reported Chekov.

"Damage report! Any casualties on the ground?"

"Unlikely, Captain. The beam hit a field some distance away from the nearest group of houses," said Spock, using the auxiliary station next to his own. Kirk saw that the Doctor was using his 'screwdriver' on the science station's instruments and looking through the scope, ignoring all that was happening around him.

"We were lucky this time, Captain. All sections fully operational, and there were no casualties apart from a sprained ankle on Deck Nine," reported Uhura.

"We can't count on luck. We have to stop the Bird of Prey. Your status, Doctor? Doctor!"

"Oh, yes Captain, I'm almost there." He didn't even raise his head from the scope.

"How long?"

"A few minutes at most."

"We don't have a few minutes!" he snapped, but the Doctor didn't react. Well, he'd do his best to make the time. "Mr. Sulu, let's head up. When that ship uncloaks again, be ready to make a hard left and dive towards the planet's south pole. Mr. Chekov, it'll probably fire from behind us. Shift power to rear shields, and don't fire phasers unless there's no chance of hitting the planet. Set the torpedoes to explode before entering the upper atmosphere. Prepare the rear photon torpedo launcher, but don't use it yet."

"Yes, sir."

As expected, Spock reported half a minute later that the ship was decloaking behind them. Sulu immediately initiated the prepared maneuver, causing its shots to miss completely. Kirk knew their opponent would catch up, but for the moment at least, he'd outwitted them.

"Mr. Sulu, when it appears again, be ready to turn left–"

"Here it comes!" called Spock. Sulu didn't wait for the confirmation and turned left, sending the _Enterprise_ east. This time, however, the beams connected.

"Left shields failing, 47% strength!"

"Captain, decks five, twelve, and thirteen report casualties. Sixteen injured, left phaser bank down," Uhura announced.

Kirk turned to check on the Doctor. He watched as the man straightened.

"Ha! You should be able to track it in a few moments, Captain!" Kirk saw that the Doctor was bracing himself against the science console, but as soon as he noticed the captain looking, he tried to stand up. It was obvious his injury had been somehow exacerbated by the effort of the last few minutes. His face was contorted with pain and he could barely stand. Spock saw it too, and stepped in to help him return to the chair.

"Mr. Chekov?"

"Captain, we can track it! It's closing in again, above and behind us."

'Gotcha!' he thought before turning to their guest. "Well done, Doctor! Mr. Chekov, extend the shields to their maximum radius and stand ready with phasers."

"But, sir, it'll weaken the shields, and we'll suffer more damage if we're hit!"

"We have to prevent enemy fire from reaching the planet, Ensign. Mr. Sulu, resume evasive maneuvers, and keep an eye on our left flank. I don't want them to suspect that we can track them."

"Very well, sir."

A few moments later, the warship did indeed uncloak, with the _Enterprise_ almost perfectly blocking its line of fire towards the planet. Chekov had the aft torpedo ready and, before it could do anything else, he managed a hit. The Bird of Prey apparently suffered severe damage. It limped away, unable to cloak, trailing smoke and debris.

"Stay on their tail. Uhura, open a channel. Tell them to surrender."

But the Wamarraki weren't about to give up. They fired their engines and began diving towards the planet. They'd successfully maneuvered to take the _Enterprise_ out of their immediate path, and they were aiming for the planet's second largest city.

"Torpedoes, full spread! Destroy it now!"

They fired, destroying the ship. They took a few seconds to watch the ball of fire grow and dissipate, though they weren't out of the woods yet.

"Mr. Sulu, assume high orbit, fast as you can, thirty thousand kilometers minimum. Mr. Chekov, be ready to shoot down any missiles the Galinedorians fire before we leave. Lt. Uhura, contact the Galinedorian government and tell them we want to talk to the Federation special envoy, Mr. Williams, immediately. And Doctor, head to the sickbay now. Mr. Rahdi, you'll stay with the Doctor until Doctor McCoy checks him."

"No, I'm fine, really," the Doctor protested as the security officer approached to help him stand, but it was obvious he wasn't fine.

Kirk punched his chair's internal comm switch. "Bones, I'm sending a patient to you. He's injured, and don't believe him when he says he's fine."

" _Jim, his case'd better be really serious, because we're swamped_."

"It is. I'll want your report as soon as possible."

"But, Captain," the Doctor insisted, "my ship's still on the surface. I must recover her. The Galinedorians must not find her!"

"Don't worry, Doctor, we won't leave orbit until everything's been resolved. You just let us know where your ship is, and we'll recover her for you."

"No, you don't understand. She's secured so that only I- Oh, you'll see. Spock," he said, turning to the Vulcan, "thanks for your help. It seems we'll have to delay our talk a bit. But I keep my promises. See you later."

"Until then, Doctor."

Kirk watched as the security officer helped the Doctor into the turbolift. As the door closed behind them, he turned his attention back to the other issues at hand. There was much to be done.


	6. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of the battle, the Doctor goes missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated with corrections.

"Mr. Williams, I'm telling you the _Enterprise_ did not fire, either on the Galinedorian ships or on the planet. General Valdorr lied to you."

" _Don't think you can avoid paying for this, Kirk, I saw the images! Even if it was just a mistake…_ "

"It was no mistake, it was a deliberate attack, but it wasn't us. There was a cloaked ship attacking both the _Enterprise_ and the Galinedorians. They must-"

" _Don't tell me now the Romulans are here, Kirk! I know astrography! They couldn't have come all the way around Federation territory without being detected, and certainly not on those slow ships of theirs._ "

"They weren't Romulans, Mr. Williams. We don't have a positive identification yet, but we have the wreckage, and we're examining it for clues." Kirk sighed. Mr. Williams was proving to be every bit as full of himself as certain other Federation envoys he'd had to work with in the past. It was incredible that such small-mindedness could be found among the ranks of the service responsible for developing relations with other cultures and civilizations. He was relieved that Ambassador Koenig was due to arrive in two days. She was a capable and respected diplomat with whom he had already worked in a few occasions. If anyone could untangle this mess and reach an agreement with the Galinedorians, it would be her.

" _I expect you'll keep me informed_." The man sounded less than convinced, but they both knew any further discussion would have to wait. " _Ms. Valdeter is ready to beam up with her team. They haven't resisted arrest by the rebels as you did, so they're mostly unharmed. But I still want them checked up by your doctor before they resume their work here._ "

"Noted. Kirk out." He could feel the exhaustion settling in his body as the adrenalin rush of the last hour finally faded. He tried massaging his neck. "Mr. Montero," he called to the lieutenant manning the security station, "please coordinate the beaming up of the survey team with the transport room. Mr. Spock, what's the status of the recovery?"

"Some of the largest pieces of wreckage have been beamed up to Cargo Bay Three, Captain. Mr. Scott's team is already working on them. Unfortunately, very few organic remains could be retrieved, and they were considerably degraded. I believe Doctor McCoy will have considerable difficulty getting results from them."

"So we have little to confirm the Doctor's - our guest's, that is - information about them being Omoran."

"We know little about the species that make up the Omora Confederacy, sir. Regardless of the condition of the remains, I suspect the best the good doctor could manage would be to exclude other possibilities, such as Romulans or Klingons."

"Then you believe our guest's tale that those were Wamarraki mercenaries."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "His story, however strange, is consistent and fits the facts. Besides, he has given me no reason to doubt his honesty."

"Yet, Mr. Spock." As his first officer stared at him, Kirk felt compelled to explain. "I'm not sure, but I believe there's a lot he's not saying. And I feel there's a lot more to him, too."

"You believe him to be lying."

"No, not really. I believe he's not telling the whole truth." He didn't add that he also feared the Doctor was dangerous. The longer he knew the man, the more uneasiness gathered in the back of his mind. There was a heaviness in his stomach, as if a storm were approaching and he could feel it in the wind.

"The Doctor has shown considerable expertise in a range of unusual subjects," said Spock, interrupting his captain's musings. "I am curious about how he managed to acquire it all."

"That's a good question." It also reminded him of his other questions about the man. "Spock, any idea how the Doctor managed to configure our scanners to defeat the cloaking system?"

"Not really, Captain. I have ascertained that he connected his device to the science console computer through the diagnostic interface. He used it to adjust the program settings for the scanners. But I still do not know how he managed to compute the frequency parameters. He did not use the ship's computer."

"If he didn't use our computer, how could he have done it? That 'sonic screwdriver' of his is too small for the task."

"Perhaps not. There are some compact computer systems that could fit into the device. But without knowledge of the relevant data and the algorithm to process them, I cannot reproduce the calculations."

"So we can't use the same solution on the next cloaked ship we find."

"I believe I said that, sir."

"Of course, Spock." He reclined in his chair, stretching his legs and trying for a better position. Maybe he needed to take a break and go to his quarters, rest a bit. No, what was he thinking? He must be really tired if he was considering lying down when there was still so much to be done.

"I look forward to hearing Doctor McCoy's [D1] impressions of our guest," Spock's voice interrupted again. "I believe they will be … illuminating."

"Good thinking, Mr. Spock." McCoy would have a very different perspective from theirs, and he knew he could trust the doctor's instincts. Kirk punched the comm switch. "Kirk to Doctor McCoy. Bones, please respond."

" _What is it, Jim? I'm busy here_."

"I was hoping to get the highlights from your examination of our guest. We need to talk to him as soon as you release him."

" _Then you'd better let me work. I won't get anywhere anytime soon if you call me every five minutes. I'll see him when he gets here_."

"Bones, I sent him your way more than fifteen minutes ago. He should already be there!"

" _Did you? Wait a moment_." He heard McCoy calling Nurse Chapel and asking where the newcomer was waiting. " _Jim, he hasn't arrived yet_."

"Are you certain?"

" _Of course I'm certain! Chapel hasn't seen him either. He hasn't come here._ "

"Kirk to security. Security alert, condition 2. Locate Mr. Rahdi. Locate and detain the Doctor."

"Mr. Rahdi is in turbolift three, now on Deck twenty-one," said Montero. "He isn't responding to the comm. I've dispatched officers to his position." He checked a few displays. "No one has seen the Doctor since he left the bridge, sir. We're starting a systematic search for him."

Kirk was restless, waiting for news. One man down. He hadn't taken the Doctor for a violent man. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

The ship was on yellow alert, but shields were kept raised as a precaution against another cloaked ship. His officers were all busy. The aftermath of combat left a lot of work to be done before they could return to routine. Uhura was composing a report to Starfleet. Sulu and Chekov were mapping the Galinedorian vessels and satellites in orbit. Spock was busy with his station, probably reexamining what the Doctor did to it. Personally, he wanted to join the security teams and search for the exasperating man.

"Sir, Mr. Rahdi has been found. He's alive and unharmed," reported Montero.

"What happened? What did he say?"

"He doesn't remember, Captain. He has no idea what happened after he left the bridge. They're taking him to sickbay to be examined."

"Good, Montero. I want the Doctor found –"

"Captain." There was a subtle note of alarm in Spock's voice.

"What is it, Spock?"

"Transporter Room Two has been used to send someone to the planet's surface. It was down for maintenance, but it was nevertheless activated about ten minutes ago."

"How did he manage … No, don't bother. Let's go. Come with me, Spock. Mr. Montero, send a team to Transporter Room Two. Mr. Sulu, you have the bridge. Keep us in transporter range of the planet's surface."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

"Captain, it was unnecessary for you to come," said Spock as they hurried down the corridors.

"Nonsense. I want to confront him myself."

"Sir, if we have to follow him down to the planet's surface, you must stay behind. When Mr. Williams calls again, he'll want to speak to you."

Kirk sighed. "You're right."

They entered the secondary transporter room, joining the security team already there and the pair of technicians examining the console. Spock took over and soon had results. "I have been able to determine the approximate coordinates of the beam-down, Captain."

"Approximate, Spock?"

"The Doctor overrode the safety systems and set the coordinates directly, without using the targeting sensors. That's how –"

"He did what? But that's insanely dangerous!"

"Yes, a disaster would be almost inevitable in normal circumstances. But the transport was completed successfully, without detection by the bridge systems. I have the coordinates, compensating for the time differential and orbital drift, but there remains a margin of error of roughly one hundred meters."

"That's good enough. Spock, take the security team with you and bring the Doctor back. Alive."

"Yes, sir."

Kirk watched them beam down, before using the transporter's scope to check the destination. It was situated in a forested area, with a narrow creek through the middle, surrounded by farmland. He contacted the bridge and asked for a full scan of the region. It didn't take long before Spock called back.

" _Captain, no sign of the Doctor, or a ship, in the vicinity_."

"He may have already left the area. Try scanning for tracks."

" _We're doing so, sir. It will take some time_."

"Find him, Spock." It was pointless to wait in the transporter room, so he left the technicians to their job and returned to the bridge.

* * *

"Captain on the bridge!"

"At ease, gentlemen. Mr. Sulu, report."

"Galinedorian vessels are staying away. The planetary news networks have reported that the faction of the military that tried to start a revolution has surrendered. The rebels were against the negotiations with the Federation. The government deplores the attacks on us, and they say there'll be an investigation and trials."

"I'm sure there will be. Anything on the surface scans? Around our security team?"

"Nothing, sir. There are a handful of lifesigns, all Galinedorian, within twenty kilometers of their position. There's no sign of anything that could constitute a ship as small as a shuttle, even powered down, in the same area. In fact, we've scanned the whole northern continent, and if there's a warp-capable ship somewhere, it's well-hidden."

"Any sign of a cloaked vessel somewhere in orbit?"

"If there was one within ten million kilometers, we'd have already detected some trace of it, sir."

"Very well, continue scanning. As soon as the security team is back, I want you to climb to an orbit of three hundred thousand kilometers and stay there. I'll be in sickbay."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

As soon as he entered, he made a beeline for his CMO. The sickbay was nearly full, with injured crewmen occupying most biobeds, being examined and treated by the nurses and the doctors, McCoy and M'Benga.

"Bones, what happened to Rahdi?"

"Jim, you look like hell! Sit down here while I check you."

"No, I don't have time."

"Then make time! The chemical compounds in that gas you breathed during your escape must be affecting you."

"Let me guess, they make me tired?"

"And obsessive, and cranky. I've already administered the antidotes to the rest of your team. Now stay here and let me treat you." The doctor approached him with a hypospray and Kirk relented.

"Bones, I really need to know what happened with Mr. Rahdi."

"He's fine. Better than you, in fact. He apparently fell asleep in the turbolift." The doctor pointed to the man resting in another biobed and being examined by Doctor M'Benga.

"What?"

"That's it, he was found sleeping in the turbolift. No sign of anything that could have knocked him out. No gas or injection. His brain patterns when he arrived were relaxed, as if he'd been out for hours," McCoy explained as he fussed over his patient, checking his vitals.

"Maybe he was disabled by a Vulcan pinch."

"I've tested for that too, Jim," he replied defensively. "Even that leaves traces, and there were none."

"That's not possible. There must be something."

"Well, there are a number of ways he could have been knocked out, but if I have to guess it's probably one of a number of very rare compounds. I've heard of two or three which might have had that effect."

"You've heard?"

"Well, it's not as if they're in wide use. Starfleet Intelligence has funded some research on compounds that would be harmless and leave no trace, to be used during infiltrations. I've read some of the papers, they're interesting. There are possible medical applications that –"

"Wait. Are you saying the Doctor is a member of Starfleet Intelligence?"

"You're saying that, not me. I haven't met him yet. Now you stay here until the antidote has had time to do its work, then you can go to your quarters and rest. I'll give you a sedative –"

"I can't, Bones!"

"Either that, or I take you off duty for 24 hours. Your choice." Kirk knew it was pointless to argue. He really felt awful.

"At least ask Spock to come see me as soon as he comes aboard."

"I'll tell him. Now stay here, I have a lot of patients to treat."

Kirk must have dozed off because before he knew it, Spock was at his side.

"Are you feeling better, Captain?"

"Yes, I think so." He was surprised to realize that he was feeling much better. "Talk to McCoy. There's something about an antidote –"

"I was unaffected, Captain, so there is no need for an antidote."

"Yeah, I should have guessed that. So, anything?"

"I assume that you are referring to our missing guest. No, Captain, we haven't found him. I have found some tracks and other evidence, but I will need some time to examine them before making inferences."

"Did McCoy tell you that the Doctor may be from Starfleet Intelligence?" Spock raised an eyebrow, and Kirk recognized it as one of mild surprise. "Something about how he might've incapacitated Mr. Rahdi."

"I will ask him."

"Do so. I want you to investigate all leads, check everything he's done to this ship, and find out who exactly he is. I know you still have contacts in Starfleet Intelligence. Have them check him out."

"If he is Starfleet Intelligence, that would explain a great deal. However, I haven't heard anything about them having a counter against cloaking devices. I presume you don't think he is."

"I don't know what to believe. He might be SI, but I have a feeling the truth is more complicated than that. If he was, why didn't he simply identify himself so we'd know to trust him? It's not as if he tried for a low profile. Find out all you can about him, Spock."

He observed as his first officer left sickbay, then finally sat up. He'd go to his quarters and rest. He had to admit that this time, McCoy was right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of dialogue on this one. The epilogue is next, so it's time to hear from my readers. If you've enjoyed this story, I'd like to hear from you what is and is not working, in your opinion. About language, characterization, plot, whatever. I'm already writing the next three episodes, and your opinion will help me improve my writing, maybe even correct something that's not working as well as I might have hoped.
> 
> Two things worth noting. Most of the episodes will be told from the point of view of the Enterprise's crew: Kirk, Spock, McCoy and others. But there may be short interludes recapitulating each episode from the Doctor's point of view, mostly to help me tie the various parts from his perspective. I'd like to know if you'd be interested in reading them. They're not essential to following the story, and there should be no spoilers, at least not if you know something about Doctor Who. But they may detract a little from the "mystery" part of the story.
> 
> Second, this Doctor, as you may have gathered, is a new incarnation of the same character, though loosely based on Tennant's Doctor. This is AU for the Doctor, he has a somewhat different history, and he hasn't experienced a Last Great Time War. In fact, there may even be no Daleks in this universe. This is a Star Trek universe, so you may expect Star Trek-type villains instead. If you know the Doctor, you may love, or hate, this approach. If you don't, well, you shouldn't worry at all, this story is for you too.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries and conclusions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated with corrections.

Spock entered the captain's quarters. Kirk was sitting at his table, surrounded by datapads. He raised his head as the Vulcan entered, his face brightening.

"Spock! So good of you to come by! I think I'll die of boredom if I have to write one more report." The captain encouraged his officers to do all their work with enthusiasm, and he liked to lead by example. As a result, Spock secretly felt privileged that he was comfortable enough with him to complain about paperwork. Spock personally didn't mind writing reports, it would be illogical to do so. He understood their importance in the running of as large an organization as Starfleet. But ship captains had at least as many forms to write and review as first officers. Besides which, many humans seemed to have a deep aversion for "bureaucratic" work.

"You asked me to come, Captain."

"If you say so, but all I can think of at the moment are the figures for our upcoming resupply at Starbase 19." The USS _Exeter_ was due to arrive the following day, bringing Ambassador Veronica Koenig and relieving the _Enterprise_. Once it arrived, they would leave for Starbase 19 for much needed rest and resupply before proceeding to the next sector in their patrol route. But even such a routine stop required a lot of preparation.

"I fear that I am only bringing you more work, sir."

"Spock, just call me Jim. It's just the two of us here."

"If you prefer, Jim." Spock passed him his datapad. "I have the final engineering evaluation of the warship's wreckage, and the preliminary results of the investigation about the coup on Galinedoria Beta IV. Also included are my findings on Doctor John Smith."

"Ah yes, I asked you to investigate our missing guest. Five days, and still no sign of him anywhere," he remarked, glancing at the datapad.

"I could come back after you have had the opportunity to review the documents."

"No, Spock, please stay. I'd like to hear your executive summary. I can finish my reports later."

Spock raised an eyebrow but complied.

"Very well. Regarding the wreckage, the warship's destruction was very thorough. Mr. Scott estimates that scuttling charges were positioned at key locations about the ship to guarantee little of value could be recovered in case of destruction. Even so, his team was able to verify most of our prior hypotheses. We have recovered enough of the engineering section, as well as structural frames, hull, and armor, to confirm it was, originally, a hitherto unknown type of Klingon Bird of Prey. However, the weapons systems were identical to those in use by Starfleet, sans identification codes. Tracing the chemical signature of the components yielded mixed results: they had come from several different manufacturing plants."

"Looking for possible sources of military-grade equipment on the black market will surely give Starfleet a headache. Heck, I'd have never believed there could be a black market for Starfleet equipment before this. Not when Orion pirates, among others, are selling sophisticated weapons systems to suit all needs to whoever has the money to pay for them."

"Indeed. But it is also possible that at least some of the components were salvaged from Starfleet wrecks. I would recommend it as a possible avenue for further investigation by Starfleet Command."

"Very good, Spock. What else?"

"Examination of organic remains definitely excludes Klingons and Romulans, indicating instead a previously unknown species. With the possible exception of some metallic debris too small for positive identification, nothing was found to indicate the use of Romulan components. Mr. Scott's team has concluded that the ship was extensively modified by an unknown party to incorporate Federation weapons systems and a cloaking device, similar to that used by the Romulans."

Kirk sighed. "I had hoped for a more definitive answer on that cloaking device. Starfleet will be more than a little worried about it. Okay, what has Lieutenant Montero found out about the coup? Mr. Williams said something about the mercenaries being Parangans." Parangel, the Parangan homeworld, was the closest planet in the sector with warp capability, and they had been one of the neighbors helping the Galinedorians acquire the same.

"Since we sent Mr. Montero to serve as the interim Federation security liaison to the Galinedorian government requested by Mr. Williams, he's proven to be a gifted investigator, Captain - Jim," Spock corrected, as Kirk raised an eyebrow at him. "Indeed, that is what the Galinedorian government claims, but Montero disagrees. A number of witnesses recognized the off-worlders supporting the rebels as Parangans, but he found that a large number of the rebels and most of the off-worlders have simply disappeared."

"Disappeared, Spock?"

"Indeed. And those who were arrested – at least, those who were off-worlders – are already dead, their bodies incinerated in the explosion that killed most of the rebel leadership in the prison."

"Including General Valdorr. I see. Montero suspects they're covering their tracks, eliminating anyone whose testimony could've cast doubt on their story."

"There were two bodies which were not completely incinerated in the explosion, and the autopsy has confirmed that they were Parangans. However, Mr. Montero has been able to match them to the two missing Parangan trade liaisons, who were never near the rebel headquarters."

"I'm impressed. Still, with no positive proof…"

"He did manage to find two staff members who had had close contact with previous Parangan delegations, and they swore that those who came to aid the rebels were definitely not Parangans. Their behavior betrayed them, and even the language which they used among themselves sounded nothing like Paranghi."

"Good, that should be enough to start an official investigation by Starfleet. Where are they now?"

"Dead. An unfortunate 'accident'."

"Of course," the captain sighed. "So we have nothing. Nothing that would confirm a potential threat to the Federation, at any rate. The Parangans may not be Federation members, and Parangel may be building up their fleet and making aggressive noises, but they're not a credible threat."

"Not yet, Jim. They have been attempting to advertise themselves as an alternative to the Federation presence in this sector, so they would have an interest in keeping the Galinedorians away from the Federation. However, if there is someone else behind these events, it is possible the Parangans themselves are being manipulated. As I recall, they appeared more than willing to join the Federation when we first contacted them. They quickly and inexplicably assumed a hostile attitude towards the Federation some time after first contact."

"I wouldn't have pegged you as a conspiracy nut, Spock. What are you saying, whoever it is behind the Galinedorian rebels was already active, what, seven years ago?"

"Eight, but yes, that is what I am saying. There is someone else with an interest in this sector. We do have the evidence from the organic remains from the ship. I surmised that they might not have taken seriously the possibility of their ship being destroyed here, so I have asked Doctor McCoy to check them again. He was able to prove that they were not Parangans, either."

"That's a start. But the ship could have simply been hired by the rebels using their Parangan contacts. It's not enough. If it wasn't for the Doctor, it's possible we wouldn't even consider looking beyond the Parangan connection. If we can find him, he might give us more to go on. What did you find on him?"

"There is no mention of a Doctor John Smith in the records of Human independent explorers, at least not one matching his apparent age and physical characteristics. His face is not a match for any of the wanted suspects and criminals on Federation watch lists. It is not possible to access all the separate citizen registries for Human colonies from the _Enterprise_ , so I have forwarded a request to Starfleet security to look for his possible birthplace. However, I did find one record of his presence on a planet before here."

"Not a Federation planet, you mean."

"No. The Vulcan diplomat currently in charge of the Federation office in Parangel received a complaint from the authorities regarding a Doctor John Smith who was arrested on charges of espionage three weeks ago. She attempted to visit him, but the Parangans suddenly denied his existence. Understandably concerned, she sought her contacts among Parangan security forces. One of them finally confessed that the man had somehow disappeared without a trace, and they were too embarrassed to admit it."

"That does sound like them."

"She wasn't fully convinced he was still alive when I contacted her. But she had been shown a photo from his arrest, and she was able to identify him from our images of the Doctor."

"That's a start. The man certainly seems to look for trouble. Two arrests in a month."

"And two escapes, not counting his departure from the _Enterprise_."

"Right under our noses," Kirk grumbled. Spock understood that his captain hadn't forgiven the stranger for attacking his crewmember.

"Under hypnosis," he continued, "Mr. Rahdi was able to recall that Doctor Smith apologized just before he lost consciousness."

"Apologized?" He narrowed his eyes.

"He apparently said he was sorry. Mr. Rahdi is convinced he meant him no harm. Doctor McCoy hasn't been able to determine exactly what happened then, but Mr. Rahdi has not suffered any negative aftereffects. On the contrary, his insomnia hasn't returned, and he reports feeling more rested and less irritable than before the attack."

"I see."

Spock waited, but the captain didn't seem ready to share his thoughts yet. So he continued, "Whoever he is, Doctor Smith seems familiar with Starfleet systems. The diagnostics routine he used to interface with the science console temporarily disabled some of the security routines. I am convinced he adjusted the parameters to delay the reactivation of the transporter monitoring process, disguising it among many other unrelated programs affected by his actions. When I began resetting the systems, I did not consider the possibility of his activating the transporter without the use of the targeting scanners, which were not affected. If I had, I could have prevented his leaving the ship."

"Don't blame yourself, Spock. You didn't know he intended to leave."

"I suspected he would try, sir." Kirk frowned, looking at his first officer. "His words, before leaving the bridge, clearly indicated it."

"What did he say? It didn't catch my attention at the time."

"He reassured me that he would keep his promise to tell me all he could about himself later."

"He might've been lying, Spock."

"Perhaps, but it would be illogical to remind me of his promise at that moment, knowing as he did that it would alert me to a possible escape attempt. I presume he did it so we would expect to meet him again."

"I'll believe it when I see it. What I don't understand is why he wanted to leave. It's not as if we were going to arrest him. We just wanted to talk."

"He did violate our quarantine."

"That wouldn't be enough to land him in a cell. No, there's something else here. He knew too much about the situation, and that we might need his help. And we did. Without him, there would have been thousands, perhaps millions of Galinedorian casualties from that cloaked ship firing on the planet. Even his lecture, infuriating that he was, helped us focus. And then, with the crisis over, he faked that injury and left."

"His pain was real, Jim. His self-control was remarkable for a human, but I recognized the signals. He was in pain the entire time, but he kept it hidden so we would allow him to remain on the bridge." He noticed Kirk's look of disapproval and amended, "I respected his self-control and his decision to defer medical attention in order to assist us."

"Hmm, you would. I guess you were right. Even so, I'd rather be informed about these situations."

"Please forgive me, Captain. Jim. It won't –"

"I trust your judgment, Spock," Kirk interrupted. "Just tell me, when you can."

"Of course." He didn't add the word 'captain', but Kirk frowned at him and sighed anyway. "It is possible he had some secrets he was not ready to share. If he is working with or for Starfleet Intelligence, it could jeopardize his cover."

"Perhaps. Let's hope that's all it was. No sign of his ship yet?"

"No. Either he is still hiding on the planet, or he managed to leave without being detected, perhaps during one of the recent solar flares." No matter how good they were, the _Enterprise_ was just one ship. They couldn't watch it all.

"What else did you find? Anything on how he managed to adjust our sensors to defeat that ship's cloak?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. During the battle, when I realized what the Doctor was attempting to do, I activated the recording of raw sensor data at maximum resolution. I haven't completed my analysis yet, but reviewing the data collected by the sensors has allowed me to conclude there was a second cloaked vessel present in orbit of the planet."

"Another ship? But we didn't see anything, either on the motion detectors or the modified sensor array."

"Indeed. In our earlier encounter with the Romulan raider, our motion sensors showed themselves capable of detecting the movement of cloaked vessels from a distance against the subspace background and plotting their approximate location. But they are not effective when the opponent is too close, as the Bird of Prey was. Regardless, in spite of the distortion from the nearby planet, we should have been able to detect the presence of other cloaked vessels in the vicinity, but neither Mr. Chekov nor I noticed anything. Later, however, when I reviewed the subspace sensor data, there were subtle indications of the presence of another ship in orbit, a ship which managed to completely elude our sensors."

"Something made you suspect that there could have been a second ship."

"Yes. The sudden disappearances of a large number of off-worlders and rebels once the plot was defeated suggested they were transported to a ship in orbit, and I decided to find out whether it existed. The trace evidence indicates that the cloaked ship was able to disguise its presence from our motion detectors enough that our recognition protocols would overlook it. I have concluded that the ship was equipped with a cloaking system more advanced than that of the Romulans, though it was not yet fully calibrated to completely mask its subspace trail. Possibly a prototype."

"A more advanced cloaking system. The news gets better and better," complained Kirk.

"The evidence from the motion detectors suggests that the ship stayed in orbit for some five hours after the battle, long enough to beam up all the missing rebels. Then it left the system at high warp when we were on the other side of the planet."

"That blip we detected. We assumed it was a passing ship that only came so close to the planet because of a reckless pilot."

"Yes. The trails from the motion detectors wouldn't be enough, by themselves, to confirm the presence of a second cloaked vessel. However, when I analyzed the modifications the Doctor made to our sensor array, I realized that they might confirm the existence of the second ship. He had adjusted the sensors to focus on our immediate vicinity, but once I reprocessed the data allowing for objects at greater distances, the sensors clearly showed the presence of the second ship, parked in a stationary orbit above the northern continent."

"You mean you've been able to replicate whatever it was he did to our sensors? But that's great!"

"Not particularly, Jim. The signal disappeared after thirty minutes, even though the motion data indicates the ship hadn't moved from its relative position."

"But how? That is, how did it work originally, and why did it suddenly stop working?"

"I have found that the protocols the Doctor introduced work by searching for patterns of electromagnetic energy at a number of very specific frequencies. It seems the cloaking system works in part by deflecting photons around the ship."

"Yes, I know a little about cloaking theory." Probably more than a little, Spock thought. But he himself was still working on the details of his theory, and he couldn't assume the captain understood it all.

"The cloak cover is necessarily imperfect, and the flaws allow a small amount of photons, at specific vectors and frequencies, to escape, rendering the vessel detectable to someone who knows what to look for. The cloaking system was probably adjusted to overlay the deflection fields in the best arrangement possible to minimize the number of escaped photons. I believe it would be extremely difficult to derive their pattern from pure observation. In fact, I have ascertained that the Doctor brought the pattern with him and uploaded it as soon as his device interfaced with our systems. The work he did afterwards was to adjust our scanners and recognition protocols to take advantage of it."

"I see. Starfleet would be extremely interested to ask him where he learned about this cloaking pattern."

"In any case, it is useless now. The other vessel must have inferred that we were able to defeat their cloak, as well as how we did it. I suspect they modified their cloaking system to switch between a number of configurations that, while suboptimal, would still be good enough to prevent detection and avoid presenting a single pattern of escaped photons. Theirs is probably a very good engineering team, able to complete the modifications in less than half an hour. However, once modified, their cloaking system will no longer be easy to pierce."

Spock saw the hope that had brightened his captain's eyes disappear as he absorbed what had just been said. No matter how many tactical maneuvers they rehearsed, they both knew how much advantage such a cloaking system gave to an adversary.

"Well, that settles it," the captain chuckled. "The Doctor cannot be Starfleet Intelligence."

"Why not, Jim?"

"I have yet to see an intelligence operative who would willingly give up any kind of secret. For this one, I'm certain they'd let the whole planet burn rather than allow someone to suspect they might have it. I'm not sure I'd give it up myself. It's the kind of trump card that can only be used once."

"I agree. But that raises the question of who this Doctor Smith is, who would sacrifice such a valuable secret in order to save the lives of complete strangers."

"A good man." The captain turned and said, "I really hope you're right and we'll meet him again, because I want to thank him for that. We owe him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This completes the first episode. My heartfelt thanks to you all who have followed the story up to this point. If you've enjoyed it, please take some time now to review and tell me what's working, and what's not.
> 
> Very special thanks for my beta, Ersatz Einstein, who's helping me turn my drafts into a readable form. Any errors that remain are solely my fault.
> 
> This is followed by two interludes, from the points of view of the Doctor and Spock, respectively. Next episode, Investigation, will be posted from February 2016 onwards. The whole story will have between 8 and 10 episodes.


	8. Announcement

The next episode, _Investigation_ , will be posted in a few days, so I'm adding this to give a head's up to you who've been following this story. If you haven't read them yet, I recommend you look up the three short stories I've added to the series as a prologue and interludes bridging this episode to the next.

Here on AO3 I'm taking advantage of the collection/series/story structure to organize the story in a series. Therefore, I recommend that you subscribe to the series if you want to be informed when a new episode starts.

Otherwise, I'd like to ask you to take a little time to review and comment. My heartfelt thanks, in advance!

OBS: I've finished posting corrections to this episode.


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